Massacre

NEWTON, Connecticut – In one of the deadliest school shootings in US history, a gunman opened fire today in a Connecticut elementary school, killing 27 people – 20 of them children, police said.

The suspected gunman, who was not identified by police, also was killed, apparently by his own hand.

The mass shootings occurred in one section of Sandy Hook Elementary School and spanned two rooms, said Lt. Paul Vance of the Connecticut State Police.

The mother of the suspected shooter, who was a teacher at the school, appeared to be the primary target, a federal law enforcement source said. The mother was among those killed. One person was wounded.

Also among the dead were the school’s principal and psychologist, according to a parent who was at the school when the incident happened.

Separately, another adult was found dead in a second location in Newtown, Vance said. A senior law enforcement official familiar with the investigation told CNN the suspect’s brother was found dead at a residence.

Police recovered three weapons from the scene: a semi-automatic .223 Bushmaster, a Glock and a Sig Sauer, a source with knowledge of the investigation said. Vance said that the medical examiner will determine the cause of death for the gunman, though he noted that police never discharged their weapons.

President Barack Obama addressed the shooting in an emotional statement Friday afternoon, saying, “Our hearts our broken today.” Obama, a father to two girls, wiped away tears as he noted the nation has “endured too many of these tragedies in the past few years.” (CNN)

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